Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) are commonly referred to as a type of antidepressant drugs that help you overcome depression and anxiety. These drugs known as SSRIs can boost your mood and are more often prescribed by healthcare professionals. SSRIs can ease the symptoms of depression. Typically they are safe to use and cause fewer side effects than other types of antidepressants.
This article will help you to discover how SSRIs improve your mood including their side effects, how they work, and their pros and cons.
As estimated, depression is a disease prevailing rapidly throughout the world. In a recent survey report published by the National Alliance on Mental Illness, every five persons have one patient of depression in the country ranging ages from 10 to 20 years.
So if you are a victim of depression, you are not alone. Depression has affected the life of every person in recent eras. SSRIs (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors) are effective medications to treat depression along with some other mental illnesses.
Definition of SSRIs
These drugs are the first-line treatment of depression because they have minor side effects that can be handled easily. These drugs are also considered effective for a few other mental disorders. The working principle of SSRIs depends on the production of serotonin in your brain. Serotonin is specialized in managing depression symptoms. Decreased levels of serotonin causes depression.
Why Do Doctors Prescribe SSRIs?
Generally, people use SSRIs for treating their depression but doctors or healthcare professionals usually prescribe these medications for the treatment of some other mental conditions such as:
- Anxiety
- Bulimia.
- Panic disorder.
- Bipolar disorders.
- OCD
- Generalized anxiety disorder
- Post-traumatic disorder (PTSD).““`
- Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD).
Some off-label uses of SSRIs are also popular. It means that people use these antidepressant drugs for conditions that it was not specifically developed for. SSRIs’ off-label uses include:
- Autism.
- Body dysmorphic disorder.
- Fibromyalgia.
- Binge eating disorder.
How Do SSRIs Work to Treat Depression?
Serotonin is known as a “feel-good chemical” because it transmits messages of getting relaxed between brain cells. It promotes a sense of well-being through the body and brain. Serotonin produced by the brain cells circulates within the brain and then transfuses into the bloodstream.
Low levels of serotonin, dopamine, nor-epinephrine, and other brain chemicals are responsible for causing depression. SSRIs limit the absorption of serotonin into your blood. Thus a large amount of serotonin remains in your brain cells that maintains a higher level of serotonin in the brain. Higher levels of serotonin in the brain help remove depression. SSRIs don’t activate the body to produce more serotonin but it only helps the body to use it where it is needed more. SSRIs are effective drugs for the treatment of depression but they do have a few side effects. So it is necessary to learn about their working, dosage effectiveness, and other factors.
The above discussion has supported the idea that serotonin is one of the effective messengers in your brain. These messengers are neurotransmitters or neurons that carry signals between brain and nerve cells. Reuptake is a process through which serotonin is returned to the brain cells after carrying a signal between neurons and brain cells. SSRIs strive to stop the process thus making possible the greater availability of serotonin for passing messages between brain cells. The term selective indicates that SSRIs mainly affect the serotonin, not other neurons. SSRIs are often used to treat conditions other than depression including anxiety disorders or panic attacks.
SSRI Medications
Several SSRI medications are available easily everywhere. These medications include:
- Viibryd (Vilazodone).
- Zoloft (Sertraline).
- Luvox (Fluvoxamine).
- Prozac (Fluoxetine).
- Celexa (Citalopram).
- Lexapro (Escitalopram).
- Paxil (Paroxetine).
All SSRI Medications are approved by the U.S. Drug Authorities for the treatment of depression.
Side Effects of SSRIs
As SSRIs have little effect on other brain chemicals such as nor-epinephrine or dopamine, the side effects are fewer. SSRIs are less hazardous with little side effects as compared to other antidepressants including monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) and Tricyclic Antidepressants ( TCAs). However, side effects are still observed with the use of SSRIs. Some of these are:
- Gastrointestinal diseases.
- Headache and migraines.
- Dizziness.
- Fatigue.
- Sleep issues.
- Sexual problems and lower libido, trouble reaching orgasm, or trouble getting a erection.
- Mouth dryness.
- Anxiety.
- Abrupt weight changes.
- Vomiting, diarrhea, or upset stomach.
- Sweating.
- Shakiness.
- Restlessness.
- Changes in appetite.
Along with these side effects, the FDA also warned about the use of SSRIs antidepressants because they can increase the risk of suicidal thoughts in young children or adults. However, this situation sometimes gets ignored because depression itself leads you towards suicidality. In case of prevailing suicidal thoughts, you must discuss with your doctor to weigh the pros and cons of starting these drugs.
Some people do not show any side effects of SSRIs and many side effects go away automatically after the first two weeks of treatment but some side effects affects you harshly and your doctor try another type of medication for the treatment of depression. Because if one type of SSRI is not working in your case the other type may prove helpful.
Which type of antidepressant is best for you depends on several factors including your health, the conditions and symptoms of depression. Therefore, before using an SSRI, ask your healthcare professional about the side effects for that specific SSRIs. You can get help from a patient guide that comes with a prescription. Taking your medicine according to a regular schedule can save you from an upset stomach.
Risk Factors with SSRIs
An associate clinical professor at Tufts University of Medicines has claimed that Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors are the safest and most authentic drugs for the treatment of depression. Although some minor side effects are attached to SSRIs, these side effects are not fatal for any person.
He also says that certain people should be careful about the use of SSRIs such as children and pregnant women.
SSRIs Risks for Children
Younger people or children are not suggested to use SSRIs because of less research. Recent researchers have not recommended SSRIs for children. Therefore, changes in the mood of children or young people must be checked keenly.
Risk Factors for Pregnant Women
SSRIs are not recommended for pregnant women as these drugs can cause certain fetal development issues such as lung and heart issues. Therefore moms-to-be must compare the side effects of SSRIs before use and talk to their doctor about the side effects of these antidepressants. They shouldn’t leave the depression untreated because depression itself is a hazardous factor for pregnancy.
Sometimes mothers-to-be stop their depression treatment to save their pregnancy while others may opt to switch their SSRIs to reduce the risk of side effects while still treating their depression. Different SSRIs have different side effects. Therefore guidelines from a healthcare specialist are necessary. For instance, Paxil has negative side effects on the fetal heart development. If the pregnant woman was taking paroxetine, the doctor may switch her medicine to Prozac or Celexa because these SSRIs have no serious side effects on fetal development.
General Risks Related to SSRIs
SSRIs are not suitable for patients with diabetes, epilepsy, and kidney disease. Therefore, doctors want to know the details of your underlying health conditions before prescribing SSRIs. So make sure to tell your doctor about your medical history so that the doctor can monitor you more closely and keenly when taking SSRIs. Certain SSRIs interact with other medications you’re taking or with the supplements you are recommended. You should tell your doctor about those supplements and over-the-counter medications you are taking regularly.
When to Take SSRIs?
As SSRIs or other antidepressants are used to help ease the symptoms of depression, people take them as a method of treatment. They become dependent on these medications and become addicted to them. However, these SSRIs or other antidepressant medications are just a part of the treatment plan.
Sometimes doctors don’t prescribe antidepressants but they recommend therapy to ease the symptoms of depression. Therapists may suggest you stop using SSRIs or other antidepressants and apply other recovery methods to lessen the severity of your symptoms.
So whenever you plan to take SSRIs as antidepressants, ask some questions to yourself evaluate whether you need an antidepressant or if it’s a matter of therapy. The questions may be:
- Have you taken antidepressants before? Do you know about their side effects on your body? If yes, did they manage the symptoms?
- Do you have trouble concentrating?
- Do you feel bored even at the events of enjoyment?
- Do you feel your mental condition is disturbing your routine life?
If the answer to these questions is yes then you may have depression but still, the is confusion there. More screening questions may be asked by your doctor to evaluate the exact situation. Thus discuss the initial results of the questioning with your doctor, this may help them.
What are SNRIs?
SNRIs are serotonin-nor-epinephrine reuptake inhibitors that help the body to keep from reabsorbing too much serotonin, allowing your brain to use more of this secretion. But something is different between SNRIs and SSRIs. Unlike SSRIs, SNRIs minimize the reuptake of neurotransmitters called nor-epinephrine. SNRIs are also used to treat nerve pain and anxiety disorders. Some common SNRIs include:
- Effexor XR (Venlafaxine).
- Khedezla (Desvenlafaxine).
- Savella (Milnacipran).
- Irenka (Duloxetine).
Whether you need SNRIs or SSRIs, depends on your symptoms and underlying health conditions. After a complete examination, your doctor will decide which of these is the best option for treating your depression symptoms.
Selection of the Right Antidepressant
The same antidepressant affects different people in different ways. For example, an SSRI may work better for you but it may be useless for another patient with depression. Similarly, one type of antidepressant has fewer side effects on a person but impacts you more badly with harsh side effects. Therefore, the selection of the right antidepressant is a serious matter.
For the selection of the right SSRIs, your medical history, some special blood tests, duration of being depressed, and severity of symptoms help your doctor. It may take several weeks to check the efficiency of an antidepressant and its early side effects. Initially, your healthcare provider may recommend you change the doses of SSRIs so that they can understand the effects of the drug on your body and mind. Through this trial-and-error method, you and your healthcare provider can select the right antidepressant for you.
When to Stop Treatment with SSRIs?
Although SSRIs are not addictive, stopping antidepressant treatment or missed or delayed doses may cause withdrawal-like symptoms. This condition can appear as discontinuation syndrome. Before stopping treatment with SSRIs, talk to your doctor and take slow steps to leave these medications. Lower your dose slowly and safely. Withdrawal-like symptoms are:
- Flu, chills symptoms such as muscle aches and sweating.
- Anxiety and restlessness.
- Dizziness and nausea.
- Feeling sleepy and sluggish.
Conclusion
SSRIs are common antidepressants that work in your body to manage the symptoms of depression. SSRIs increase the absorption of serotonin hormones in your brain cells so that you may feel relaxed. These drugs lessen the absorption of serotonin hormone in your nerves spread in the body. Generally, these antidepressants are safe to use with fewer side effects but sometimes the side effects are severe and cause safety issues. Healthcare departments recommend taking these antidepressants in moderate quantities because their high or irregular dosages can cause other medical issues like unstable heart rhythm, kidney failure, and diabetes.
If you feel that these antidepressants are effective for managing your symptoms of depression, you must talk to your doctor before starting the dosage. They will study your health history with your recent health conditions and decide whether an SSRI is good for you or not.
Finding the best antidepressant may take a little bit of time. The good news is that most depression patients find SSRIs to help treat their depression and ease the symptoms. SSRIs help them get back to their normal happy life.
